BRIDGETON — Just because you drop out of school doesn’t mean it’s over for students in this city.

Thanks to the Magic Johnson Bridgescape Program and Gateway Community Action Partnership, 16 “dropouts’’ will be graduating from high school on July 25 at the Alms Center.

One of them is Julio Arenas, 18.

“I could work as fast as I wanted or work from home and accomplish my weekly goals of finishing certain classes or lessons,’’ said Julio.

“The most important thing I learned is that there are teachers and counselors here who care and support you.

“They even helped me to apply to become a citizen.’’

Three completed their 2012 summer session, nine graduated at mid-year and four are anticipated by July 19.

Fourteen are seniors and two are juniors.

Eleven students — three seniors and eight juniors — are anticipated to return for the 2013-14 school year.

“We are seeking out students who have previously dropped out of school to re-enroll,’ Superintendent Dr. Thomasina Jones told the board of education last week.

Six dropped out of the current program because of attendance issues.

Eight were removed because of attendance, three left the district and one re-entered BHS.

But Jones doesn’t give up.

“We’ll try and contact them again and get them back in September,’’ she said.

Natalia Mendez, 18, was a caretaker in her family.

While attending high school, she earned 120 credits, but had attendance issues while helping her single mother earn income for the household.

“I appreciate the flexibility of this program,’’ she said. “I know I have a certain amount of time to complete my remaining classes, and if I fail to earn my high school diploma, then it was my fault, and no one else’s.’’

There were 29 of the 45 students enrolled who missed 10 or more days.

“But we had a retention counselor who goes out to the homes and encourages students to attend on a regular basis,’’ she said.

After 10 days, a warning letter is sent out.

If they miss three days in a row, they receive a house visit from the retention counselor.

If a student misses 15 consecutive days, they are dropped from the program.

Of the 45 students enrolled, 24 were seniors, 16 juniors and five sophomores.

Out of the graduates, five students already passed their HSPA exams before entering the academy.

Of the nine students who sat for the HSPA (High School Proficiency Assessment), two passed.

Of the nine who sat for the AHSA (Alternative High School Assessment), none passed.

Of the nine submitted to the Educational Proficiency Plan, all were approved.

“Many of our students were granted an appeal due to a learning difficulty and because of the regular intervention we provide in literacy and numeracy,’’ the handout to the board of education read.